OCTOBER 21, 2009 — Nearly 9 of 10 tanning business owners are satisfied with the level of service they receive from their tanning suppliers, according to a SmartTan.com poll conducted in October — a good indication that the players in the tanning community today are more professional than ever.

According to the poll, only 12 percent say they aren’t satisfied with the service they get from their vendors. The results are not scientific, but are highly directional.

“When you consider all the signs that the retailers in the market today are more professional than ever, this poll suggests that the suppliers are doing their job and that all sectors in the tanning market are moving forward,” Smart Tan Vice President Joseph Levy said. “We talk a lot about how we are now entering the fourth generation of ownership in the tanning community. This poll goes right along with that.”

Tanning’s first generation jumped in on the North American tanning market when it was still a fad. The second generation invested in the tanning boom in the mid-1980s, followed by a third-generation of ownership that created a massive market substitution in the 1990s. The fourth-generation of ownership evolved in the changing business climate in the past five years.

“There’s no doubt that the ownership in the market today is more savvy than any generation that preceded it, and it’s a great sign that today’s tanning retailers are pleased with the service they’re getting from today’s suppliers,” Levy said. “The tanning community has great people in it today who can move the market forward.”